Referee charged in husband's death due in LA court

BY LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special CorrespondentPublished: October 3, 2012 4:05AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A nationally known professional tennis referee is due in court as lawyers set the stage for a trial in the bizarre coffee cup death of the woman's husband.

The attorney for Lois Ann Goodman has dropped her opposition to a request from investigators for a DNA sample. The sample will be taken when the 70-year-old Goodman comes to court Wednesday.

Goodman is charged with bludgeoning her husband with a ceramic cup in April. Authorities initially believed the 80-year-old fell down stairs at home while she was away, but later decided it was murder.

Goodman was arrested in New York in August just before she was to referee at the U.S. Open. Her attorney maintains the victim died in a freak accident.